System Design Modeling and Metamodeling

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

   PDF

2. Plan of Book

   1. Plan of Book

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 1-3

3. The Nature of Reality

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 5-7

      PDF

   2. The Modern View of Reality

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 9-27

   3. The System Approach: Introduction and Examples

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 29-59

   4. The System Approach: Applied System Theory

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 61-95

4. Modeling

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 97-99

      PDF

   2. Decision Making and the System Paradigm

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 101-118

   3. Modeling

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 119-136

   4. Model Types

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 137-170

   5. Complexity

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 171-188

   6. Control and Regulation

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 189-219

5. Metamodeling

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 221-223

      PDF

   2. The Metasystem Paradigm: Metasystem Design

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 225-232

   3. Abstraction

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 233-254

   4. Metamodeling

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 255-274

   5. Metamodeling: More Applications

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 275-296

   6. Diagnosis and Metamodeling of System Failures

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 297-310

6. Metamodeling and Organizational Decision Making

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 311-313

      PDF

   2. A Metasystem Approach to Organizational Decision Making

      • John P. van Gigch

      Pages 315-332

This book is a venture in the worlds of modeling and of metamodeling. At this point, I will not reveal to readers what constitutes metamodeling. Suf­ fice it to say that the pitfalls and shortcomings of modeling can be cured only if we resort to a higher level of inquiry called metainquiry and metadesign. We reach this level by the process of abstraction. The book contains five chapters from my previous work, Applied General Systems Theory (Harper and Row, London and New York, First Edition 1974, Second Edition 1978). More than ten years after its publication, this material still appears relevant to the main thrust of system design. This book is dedicated to all those who are involved in changing the world for the better. In a way we all are involved in system design: from the city manager who struggles with the problems of mass transportation or the consolidation of a city and its suburbs to the social worker who tries to provide benefits to the urban poor. It includes the engineer who designs the shuttle rockets. It involves the politician engaged in drafting a bill to recycle containers, or one to prevent pesticide contamination of our food. The politician might even need system design to chart his or her own re-election campaign.

• complexity
• control
• information
• model
• modeling
• organization
• systems theory

• California State University, Sacramento, USA

  John P. Gigch

Policies and ethics